Latch maeans for binders



` 0t.29,'1929. A. M. MARTIN 1,733,894

LATCH MEANS FOR BINDERS Filed Nov. 3, 1928 Patented Oct. 29, 1928 i ALFRED M. MARTIN, F CHICAGO, ILLENOIS Lamer-:Marins non Bnvnnias Application filed November 3, 1928. Serial No. 816,897.

rl`his invention relates to latching means for book-type binders of the kind in which there is a pair of prong-carrying backV members movable toward and away from each other, ordinarily on a hinge connection.

The general object of the. invention'is to provide a latch or catch device for `such binders which may readily vbe rendered inoperative whereby the backs may be moved toward or away from each other throughout a wide range, while being susceptible of being' held in the fully-closed orrin partlyopen position at the will of the operator. n

It is not new to provide means for holding the back members in the Vclosed and in a partly-open position. In such prior devices it becomes necessary to release the catch manually as an almost constant operation in certain uses of the book. By rendering the latching mechanism inoperative much if not practically all of this labor is avoided. A. feature of theV present invention is that the desired results are obtained with a single manual control.

In my eopending application, Serial Number 313,397, tiled October 19, 1928, I Vhave shown and claimed means for accomplishing this result in conection with a certain mechanism described and claimed in a copending application of Hari: J. 'Dornes, Serial Number 287,128, iiled une 21, y1928. The present invention is directed to the utili- Zation of a single latching mechanism as distinguished from the use of an auxiliary 35 latching device, for example such as is shown by the two copending applications mentioned. In this regard further, the present invention employs largely what is old and well-known and calls for little additional expense over the use oi the ordinarylatch mechanism for holding the book closed.

The chief obl'ect of the invention in practice is to permit the operator readily to remove and insert sheets where the amount.

thereof 'is considerable and the book must be partly closedto swing sheets from one side to the other. This may be a substantially continuous operation all day long, as where the sheets are being removed, writtenv upon by machine and then replaced. According to this invention and lthat of my said copending application this may be without having to operate the releasing mechanism.y It eects a great saving in time and labor.

The specic object of the present invention is to provide simple and low-costmeans for accomplishing the general results, more particularly in connection with the so-called non-shift binder, namely the kind which is not in accordance with my'latent No'. 60 1,269,479 of June 11, 1918. 1

ln the drawings Figure 1 is an'end view oi the preferred or hinged type ofbinder in a partly open and unlocked position, embodying the present inventionjthe lids-'or e5 covers being broken away; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary' top view of the binder fully closed, the lids or covers being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top viewl showing the binder partly open vand locked; Fig. 4 70 is a fragmentary top View showing the binder with its parts in the relative position or" Fig. 1;V Fig. 5 is a bottom partly-sectional view, with the binder closed, showing the'latching and releasing mechanism; Fig. 6'is a 'rag- 75 mentary section, as on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, showing theparts of Fig. 5 in the same relative positions and in side elevation in inverted position with the sheet-holding prongs omitted; and Fig. 7 is a view like Fig. 6 but S0 showing the part-s in anotherrelative position. v

Binders of the kind referred to are invari-` ably provided with latch or catch means for holding the backmembers releasably closed; sa l Usually there is such a catch at each. end, but it is not necessary to showv both since they are alike and simultaneously operated. These usualand well-known locking means are shown here as comprisinga headedcurved leaf-like latch projection 1'0 rigidly secured to back member A and projecting vsoas to enter the opening 11 in the inner wall 12 of back member B. Mounted for sliding movement in the hollow .interior of back lmember B, and in the corner between the'walls 12 and thereof, is an angle-'iron piecev denominated as a whole`13 and which comprises web 13a` lying against the wall 12vand a web 13b rest-ing upon the wall-15 of 4the frame, a re- MEQ .y

in the sense of not being so far advanced inwardly) becomes caught.

l/Vith the parts 25 and 26 in the relative position of F igl 6 the backs may be completely closed, in which case the catch projection lZ1 comes into effect; but in such case the parts 25 and 2,6 still remain overlapped, and assoon as the book snaps shut the parts 25 and 26 again resume their` relative positions shown by Fig. 6. This is owing to the fact that the full clearance at 30, Fig. 7, between the catch element 10a and the holding part 13m is not required when the backs are simply pushed together. There is an excess of clearance there. The dotted line position of the part 26 in Fig. 7, st-ill overlapping, though but slightly, the part 25, is the position of part 26 when the backs are simply pushed together. In vorder to catch the parts and 26 together the finger-piece must be pushed inward enough to provide the excess clearance at 30.

Ihrough the co-action of the parts 25 and 26 the binder-latching mechanism is held releasably inoperative in the full-line relative positions of Fig. 7. All that is necessary to release the latching mechanism from the position of Fig. 7 is to push upward in that igure the inger-piece 22 sufiiciently to cause the holding element 26 to slide over and upon the stop 25. In Fig. l the releasing movement consists merely in pushing or striking downward with the finger upon the fingerpiece 22, the spring 18 then moving the associated elements outward.

Should it be desirable to render inoperative merely the latching mechanism with respect to the catch element 10b it is clear that that may be accomplished by merely proportioning these stop elements 25 and 26 so that when these parts are functioning as in Fig. 7 the part 18aa is held advanced lonly far enough to engage the catch element 10b.

rThe latch projection denominatedV as a whole 10 is shown as being carried rigidly by one or' the back members. In some constructions a corresponding element is carried by a movable member terminating in the finger-piece so that the latchprojection is moved inward and outward. It is immaterial to the present invention whether the latching proection or its coacting holding member is the one movable by the linger piece. The latching projection may be variously shaped, and there may be many intermediate positions in which the backs may be held, as by numerous catch elements on the latching projection.

The strip 28, Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is to be understood as leading to a place near the other end'oi" the binder to operate a corresponding latching mechanism at that end.

I contemplate as being included in this invention all such changes, departures and modifications from what is thus specifically Y illustrated and described-asfall within the sc-ope ofthe appended claims? Y I claim: f

:L tions of the same move toward and away .from each other and means for holding the back members closed and also in partly-open position, said holding means comprising a latchin'g projection carried by one of the back 75 members and interengaging means carried by the other thereof, said latching projection having catch elements for holding the binder closed and also in a partly-open position, with manually-controlled means for releasing :i said holding means whereby the binder may be fully opened, in combination withmeansfor releasably maintaining said holding means inoperative.

2. The combination of claim l hereof in;- which said back members are hinged together.

3. The combination of claim l hereof in which said last-mentioned means and said means for releasing said holding means are;v

, um er the control of a common finger-piece.

4. In a binder of the character described, a pair or" back members hinged together, in combination with a unitary latch-and-catch device for holding the back members releasably in a partly-open position, and means ior releasably maintaining said holding means inoperative.

5. In a binder of the character described, a pair of back members hinged together, inV combination with a unitary latch-and-catch device including a member having a plurality of notch-like formations therein for holding the back members releasably a partly-open position and also in closed position, and means for releasably maintaining said holding means inoperative. y

6. In a binderof the character described, a pair of back members hinged together, in combination with a unitary latch-and-catch device for holding the back members releasably in a partly-open position, means including a finger-piece adjacent to one end of the binder for releasing said holding means, and means under the control of said inger-piece for releasably maintaining said holding means inoperative.

7. VIn a binder ol the character described,

l a pair of back members hinged together, in

combination with a latch-and-ca-tch device for holding the back members releasably closed, and means for releasably maintaining said holding means inoperative. j, i Y

8. In a binder of the character described, a pair of back members hinged together, in combination with a locking projection rigidly secured to one back member and having a plurality of tooth-like elements thereon, cooperating means earried by the other back member and mounted for relative movement i to engage and releajs-esid'tooth-like el'mengts,

for holding the backmembers in various relative positions with respect to each other, a finger-piste for moving kvsaid cooperating member, and means under the -c'ontro of said 'Hoger-piece for releasably maintaining said cooperating member free of one ofisad toothv like elements adapted to 'hold theY backs in a Y partly-open position.

ALFRED M. MARTIN. 

